1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of paintball products. In particular, the present invention relates specifically to the integration of a paintball hopper into the body of the paintball marker to lower the center of gravity and reduce the feed length of the paintball path from the hopper into the launching chamber.
2. Description of the Known Art
As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, paintball hoppers are utilized to feed paintballs to the breech of the paintball marker. Patents disclosing information relevant to paintballs, markers, and hoppers include U.S. Pat. No. 6,845,794, issued to Johnson on Jan. 25, 2005 entitled Paintball filling system; U.S. Pat. No. 6,763,822, issued to Styles on Jul. 20, 2004 entitled Electropneumatic paintball gun, method of making and operating, and retrofit kit assembly; U.S. Pat. No. 6,739,322, issued to Rice et al. on May 25, 2004 entitled Paintball feed system; U.S. Pat. No. 6,701,909, issued to Tiberius et al. on Mar. 9, 2004 entitled Semi-automatic-firing, compressed-gas gun; U.S. Pat. No. 6,658,982, issued to Cherry on Dec. 9, 2003 entitled Cocking knob and striker arrangement for gas-powered projectile firing device; U.S. Pat. No. 6,644,366, issued to Johnson on Nov. 11, 2000 entitled Paintball filling system; U.S. Pat. No. 6,626,165, issued to Bhogal on Dec. 30, 2003 entitled Paintball gun; U.S. Pat. No. 6,574,945, issued to Martinez, Jr. on Jun. 10, 2003 entitled Method for manufacturing a projectile containing chemiluminescent compounds; U.S. Pat. No. 6,481,432, issued to Rushton, et al. on Nov. 19, 2002 entitled Paintball hopper; U.S. Pat. No. 6,470,872, issued to Tiberius et al. on Nov. 19, 2002 entitled Semi-automatic firing compressed-gas gun; U.S. Pat. No. 6,055,975, issued to Gallegher et al. on May 2, 2000 entitled Paintball container; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,722,383 issued to Tippmann, Sr., et al. on Mar. 3, 1998 entitled Impeder for a gun firing mechanism with ammunition feeder and mode selector. Each of these patents is hereby expressly incorporated by reference in their entirety.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,701,909, issued to Tiberius et al. on Mar. 9, 2004 entitled Semi-automatic-firing, has the following description in its abstract: “A paintball gun is sized and designed to appear like and operate in a manner similar to a conventional gun. A dual-action firing bolt moves forward, assisting in launching a projectile, under cast pressure. The bolt then releases the compressed gas to carry the projectile down the barrel. Return springs operate to move the bolt and its valves to a ready-to-fire position. Similarly, trigger actuation mechanisms are spring-actuated to return to the ready-to-fire position. A removable magazine stores projectiles and propellant. The magazine is small enough to fit into a handle of a pistol. A user may selectively release just the projectile portion of the magazine, in order to leave the propellant undisturbed until fully expended. The magazine can be completely removed without substantial loss of propellant.”
U.S. Pat. No. 6,481,432, issued to Rushton, et al. on Nov. 19, 2002 entitled Paintball hopper, has the following description in its abstract: “A paintball hopper for connection to a paintball launcher or marker has a counter which includes a flexible potentiometer extending into a transfer conduit that connects to the paintball launcher or marker. The hopper has a reservoir shaped for movement of the paintballs toward the transfer conduit. The hopper has a nose with slanted surfaces that are deflection engineered to enhance the deflectability of paintballs directed at the user. The counter mechanism includes a timer and an LCD display so the user can see how many paintballs have been launched and monitor time. The hopper also includes an agitator to agitate the paintballs in the reservoir.”
U.S. Pat. No. 6,470,872, issued to Tiberius et al. on Nov. 19, 2002 entitled Semi-automatic firing compressed-gas gun, has the following description in its abstract: “A paintball gun is sized and designed to appear like and operate in a manner similar to a conventional gun. A dual-action firing bolt moves forward, assisting in launching a projectile, under cast pressure. The bolt then releases the compressed gas to carry the projectile down the barrel. Return springs operate to move the bolt and its valves to a ready-to-fire position. Similarly, trigger actuation mechanisms are spring-actuated to return to the ready-to-fire position. A removable magazine stores projectiles and propellant. The magazine is small enough to fit into a handle of a pistol. A user may selectively release just the projectile portion of the magazine, in order to leave the propellant undisturbed until fully expended. The magazine can be completely removed without substantial loss of propellant.”
U.S. Pat. No. 5,722,383 issued to Tippmann, Sr., et al. on Mar. 3, 1998 entitled Impeder for a gun firing mechanism with ammunition feeder and mode selector, has the following description in its abstract: “An ammunition feed mechanism for an automatic or semiautomatic weapon which includes a mechanism for retarding the cyclic feeding of ammunition into the chamber of the weapon. The mechanism for retarding the cyclic feeding of ammunition includes an impeder which engages the bolt of the weapon. The ammunition feed mechanism also includes a magazine having a ramped bottom which directs ammunition projectiles to an exit therein where the ammunition projectiles are fed into the chamber of the weapon. The magazine includes a plurality of curved projections in the bottom which define a plurality of spaces into which the ammunition projectiles are received. The plurality of curved projections also guide the ammunition projectiles through the exit.”
Additional prior art is also known. As shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings, it is also currently known to use a separate exterior hopper 14 to feed a paintball 10 into an internal loading area 18 of a separate paintball marker body 16. The majority of prior art designs utilize separate paintball hoppers 14 that are self contained units using a neck extension 20 which is friction fit connected into an external feed neck 22 located on the top or the side of the paintball marker body 16. Clamping grips have also been used on the external feed neck 22. This extended construction which locates the mass of the paintball hopper 14 and any contained paintballs 10 in an extended position above the marker provides a greatly expanded profile 24 which presents a larger target for opposing players. Furthermore, this upward neck extension 20 and 22 and the associated extended mounting of the external hopper 14 causes a higher center of gravity which results in a reduction of control when aiming the marker 16. Thus, the prior art teaches paintball markers and hopper having inherent problems such that an improved hopper and marker are needed to overcome these limitations.